One School, One Nurse Act of 2025
The One School, One Nurse Act of 2025 would authorize the U.S. Department of Education to run a competitive grant program to help local educational agencies (LEAs) hire and retain registered nurses in every elementary and secondary school. Grants would be awarded for five-year periods to eligible entities (LEAs or state-LEA partnerships) to recruit, convert part-time positions to full-time, and maintain nurse staffing to meet a formula-based nurse-to-student ratio set by federal regulation. Applicants must include a needs assessment showing nurse shortages, a plan addressing student health and wellness needs, and a strategy to ensure ongoing nurse staffing after the grant ends, including prioritizing candidates from the communities served and from underrepresented groups in public health. The bill also requires annual reporting on progress and sets up regulatory work to define key concepts like ratios, full-time status, and underrepresented populations. The bill frames school nurses as crucial for student health, attendance, and overall well-being—particularly for uninsured or health-underserved students—and cites potential benefits such as better health records, higher immunization rates, fewer absences, and improved health outcomes for chronic conditions. If enacted, the program could significantly increase the presence of full-time registered nurses in schools and shape hiring practices to promote workforce diversity.
Key Points
- 1Establishes a One School, One Nurse Grant Program to fund up to five years of support for districts to ensure each elementary and secondary school has at least one full-time registered nurse on staff.
- 2Eligible entities include local educational agencies or partnerships between a State educational agency and a consortium of LEAs; grants are competitive and must address persistent nurse shortages and student health needs.
- 3Priorities include funding for high-need LEAs and setting specific hiring goals to increase the share of nurses from underrepresented populations in public health professions.
- 4Required activities include recruiting and hiring nurses, converting part-time positions to full-time, retaining nurses (including salary improvements), and maintaining recommended nurse-to-student ratios as determined by regulation.
- 5Annual reporting requirements for grant recipients cover progress toward staffing goals, nurse demographics by school, and progress on health/wellness needs identified in the applicant’s plan; regulatory definitions and ratios are to be established within 12 months of enactment.